Tata Tiago EV Long-term Review – Second Report

After Parth’s first two months with the Tata Tiago EV, I had the opportunity to make my life more comfortable and affordable with the Tiago EV for the next two months. I mostly ride a motorcycle to get around or occasionally take a Tiago diesel out as I have one at home. So, getting used to the new Tiago EV was not a big challenge. The only major challenge was figuring out how to charge the car because, like Parth, I did not have an indoor charger.

A full charge costs around ₹400 to ₹530, depending on the public charging rates in Mumbai and Thane. Most of the time, I drain the car to around 10% before recharging. The estimated range varies dynamically based on my driving style, and engaging the Sport mode reduces the range by about 5-6%. The range also varies based on air conditioning usage and the level of regenerative braking, both of which affect the range by about 8-10%.

At the end of the day, I was able to cover 180 km without any problem in light traffic and less traffic, and 210 km with less air conditioning usage. The shortest distance I travelled was during heavy rain and extremely bad traffic conditions, but still managed to cover a little over 145 km. When I first drove the Tiago EV, I often suffered from range anxiety, but after three full charges, managing the range became a breeze. Another plus point was the charger’s CCS connector, which also allows for Type 2 slow charging. Since both connectors are easily available in Mumbai’s public charging infrastructure, this anxiety eventually went away.

It’s the little details on the Tata Tiago EV that make a huge difference. Automatic wipers and automatic headlights are just the beginning of the many features that make life easier. Even the rear-view camera has turn guidance, which makes parking in the tightest of places very useful. The size of the car isn’t intimidating, but it’s the little features that enhance the everyday driving experience. The request sensors on the door handles work well to unlock. However, there are times when the car won’t lock, and the traditional 7-beep sound from a Tata car can be a bit annoying.

Another annoying aspect is that when the car’s charge drops below 10%, a beeping warning sounds and performance drops dramatically. It goes into limp mode and barely exceeds 40 km/h. Sport mode is also disabled when the battery level drops below 30% to prevent the battery from draining quickly. Level 4 regenerative braking (re-gen) doesn’t really kick in until the battery level drops below 95%, which makes sense. However, even when I left the car in maximum regen, it always reset to level 1 regen after a restart, regardless of the battery level.

The suspension setup is very plush and very comfortable when driving alone. It grips well when fully loaded with luggage and four passengers, but there is a slight rebound effect at the rear when hitting large potholes or speed bumps. The air conditioning is also great and effectively cools the cabin even on cloudy days. On hot sunny days, it cools down quickly and on fan speed level 2, it maintains the temperature well.

Previously, during several public charging sessions, the charger would get stuck and not disconnect due to a malfunction in the app or the charger. We found a workaround by unplugging the socket at the wheel. However, pressing the charge disconnect button on the center console and unlocking the car several times fixed the problem, even if the error recurred. Sometimes, the charger has a hard stop safety button that, when pressed, immediately stops charging and disconnects the charger from the car for safety reasons. This trick is also useful when the charger is locked to the car.

Despite being an electric car, the Tiago still comes with almost all halogen lamps, including projectors. Although they might consume more power than LEDs, I really like the illumination from the headlamps. The fog lamps are not very powerful but are useful in heavy rain. The trunk also has a request button to open it, which the regular Tiago does not have. This is a good thing as I do not need to take out the keys to open the trunk. There is also a similar button on the centre console for situations like in malls when the security guard needs to check the trunk but does not know how to open it.

During the heavy rains and floods, the Tiago EV handled like a champion and had no problem navigating the waterlogged roads. However, a large floating branch hit the driver’s door, which would have left a large dent on other vehicles. The Tiago ended up with only a minor scratch! The build quality is top-notch, and so is the performance. The Sport mode is addictive once you get the hang of the electric pull, and it even throws in a few wheel spins in wet conditions and on gravel roads.

The Tata Tiago EV has a running cost of less than Rs 3 per km, making it one of the most efficient long-term vehicles in the MotorBeam garage. It is super quiet, comfortable and spacious. With a range of 150-200 kms depending on traffic and road conditions, the range can be easily predicted and range anxiety is no longer a concern. Despite some of its shortcomings, the Tata Tiago EV has become the most popular car in our current fleet.